1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connector fixing device, particularly to a device for fixing a card edge connector to a mother board.
2. The Prior Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a prior art card edge connector 1 for connecting a daughter board 2 to a mother board 3. The connector 1 comprises a frame 10 having a base (not labeled) and two upright side arms 13. The base defines a central slot 11 and has a number of contacts 12 mounted therein and located beside the slot 11. Each side arm 13 is formed with a pair of projections 14 defining a guiding groove 15 therebetween. To mount the daughter board 2 to the connector 1, two lateral edges (not labeled) of the daughter board 2 are received within the grooves 15 and moved in a direction indicated by arrow "A" to reach a position in which circuit pads (not shown) formed on a lower edge of the daughter board 2 are mechanically and electrically connected with the contacts 12.
Following the development of electronic technology, an increasing number of components are attached to the daughter board 2, which causes the daughter board 2 to become heavier. In order to firmly connect the daughter board 2 to the mother board 3, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, prior art proposed to integrally form four mounting flanges 16 at four corners of the frame 10. Each mounting flange 16 defines an upper hexagonal recess 18 communicating with a lower through hole (not shown). The hexagonal recess 18 matingly receives a hexagonal nut 20. Four bolts 30 extend from a bottom through the mother board 3 and the through holes defined by the mounting flanges 16 to threadedly engage with the nuts 20 received in the recesses 18 to fixedly connect the mother board 3 and the electric connector 1.
However, the prior art for fixing the connector 1 to the mother board 3 has the following disadvantages:
Before the nuts 20 are threadedly engaged with the bolts 30, the nuts 20 received in the recesses 18 are not fixed in position, which may cause the nuts 20 to become dislodged from the recesses 18 when the connector 1 is subject to a vibration or inclination. During such an occurrence, the mounting of the connector 1 to the mother board 3 may be disrupted.
Secondly, when bringing the bolts 30 to threadedly engage with the nuts 20 to assemble the connector 1 with the mother board 3, an assembler must use a hand or tool to press the nuts 20 in the recesses 18 to facilitate the engagement between the bolts 30 and the nuts 20 and ensure that the nuts 20 are entirely fitted in the recesses 18 after assembly. This causes an inconvenience during assembly and hinders assembly speed.
Finally, no mating arrangement exists between the mounting flanges 16 defining the recesses 18 and the nuts 20 which can provide a secure engagement therebetween to ensure that the connector 1 is firmly connected to the mother board 3 after the bolts 30 are extended through the mother board 3 and threadedly engage with the nuts 20.
Hence, there is a need for a connector fixing device to eliminate the above-mentioned defects of the current device for fixing a connector to a mother board.